The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-03
The Commissions First Work.

| 1--WE WOFk at IL o CLOCK this morning
At that time Ex-Governor Rufus B
Bullock, DR.. R. s. spaulding and Mr.. s
f. Woodson, the committee appointed
by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
ito cooperate with the Southern Rail-
way and Steamship Association in seek.
ing such
LIBERAL INTERPRETATION Or MoDIFcA-
TON
OF the Interstate commerce act as may
be deemed necess airy for the protection
OF the manufacturing and commercial
interests of this and other southern
societies" were granted a hearing.
Governor Bullock, speaking for his as
ISOLATION, thanked the commission for
the opportunity afforded and read the
following paper:
To the Hon. the Interstate Commerce
= Commission:
Gentlemen:-We the undersigned, a
committee appointed by the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce for that pur-
pose, respectfully represent to your
honorable body that the territory
covered by the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association is comparatively
sparsely populated, and that the trade
centres or distributiye cities within that
territory are widely separated and,
therefore, that a rule which would
apply to lines in the more populous
sections of the country
WOULD BE DISASTROUS TO Us.
The rates of freight now in force by
the said association, which is the terri
tory south of the Potomac and Ohio
and east of the Mississippi Rivers,
are the results of ten years
experiment, modified by the
orders of the railroad commissions in
the several States, and by appeals from
commercial bodies, like our own, repre-
senting the. interests of shippers. Your
petitioners further represent that the
rates now in force as en-
bodied in the tariff of the
Southern Railway and Steamship
Association, are accountable to
our shippers generally and under them
trade has been established. Contracts for
the purchase and sale of commodities
have been entered into. and sudden
change
to the parties in interest. We are in
formed by. the railway management
that, under the fear of the penalties
provided by The interstate commerce
law, their roads will be compelled to
largely increase their rates on the 9Th
inst. This will destroy the whole sys.
tenn upon which our southern manu- !
featuring industries have been founded,
and disorganize and
PARABYzE THE TRADE CENTRES
lpon sad. through which wholesale
iealers have established their extended
business. We, therefore, respect
ully petition your honorable body
% pass an order, on or be
ore the 5th day of April, inst, to
he effect that the schedule rates in the
erritory south Of the Potomac and
ohio and east of the Mississippi rivers,
10 far as these rates relate TO Interstate
commerce, be declared OF force until
he further order Of your honorable
and that reasonable time
will be given for further hearing aud
evision before any changes are put in
orce. We submit, herewith,
THE SCHEDULE OF RATES
# the Southern Railway & Steam
nip Association, to which we
AVE referred. We also invite
our attention to the accompany
ng comparative statement, which
We have prepared, OF the present
ateS, by which it is shown when the
reat increase, which will occur in the
ate to the principal points if the rail-
rays put in force the rates they now
Understand the law will require. The
howing made by the
COMPARATIVE STATEMENTS
ubmitted may be judged by the fact
hat the rates from New York to
ltlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Rome,
)alton and Chattanooga will be in S
reased from s1.14 to $1.41, to Macon
.om s100 to $1.35, to Augusta from :
Sc to $1.2l; from Cincinnati to Atlanta
.om $L07 to $1.26, to Macon and {
from 81 .O7 to 81 46.
The chairman of the commission {
u .ge Cooley remarked, interrogat- !
ely. that he understood that the ap- 1
Iication which had, been made by the .
Iilroad companies was for permission !
} charge
zss FOR LONG THAN FOR SHORT HAULs. C
Governor Bullock responded, affirm .
lively. t
at present, queried the chairman, t.
ilroads are charging less for longer
ian for shorter distances2
Governor Bullock said this was the
.se where it was necessary to meet the
of water transportation.
The chairman asked TT opinion of d
lie committee with respe, o the au- Il
Iority of the commission /, make the :,
der asked of them. Il
Cove nor Bullock replied that, as they al
ad the provisions OF the fourth sec "
IN. they understood the commission u
I'd the authority. The railroads, he N
lded, had informed them that unless st
ey made their rates at once, they in
1uld be liable TO in
PENALTIES UNDER THE Law. w
'ntracts had been made by merchants &c
r delivery three months hence, based lh
ION the rates which prevailed at the
ne. Now, to suddenly raise the rates
)QId prova diSast rOuS